Senior Director, Business Development

Cabaletta Bio Inc.•Philadelphia, PA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the Chief Business Officer, the Senior Director, Business Development will play a central role in identifying, evaluating, negotiating, and executing strategic partnerships that strengthen Cabaletta Bio's leadership in engineered cell therapies for autoimmune diseases. This individual will lead business development and alliance management activities across licensing, acquisitions, platform collaborations, and strategic partnerships while working closely with Research, Development, Clinical, Commercial, Legal, Finance, and Executive Leadership. The role requires exceptional scientific acumen, strong financial and strategic analysis capabilities, and outstanding transaction execution skills. The successful candidate will help shape Cabaletta's long-term growth strategy by identifying innovative technologies and assets that complement the company's mission of developing curative targeted cell therapies for autoimmune disease.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in life sciences, business, finance, or related discipline required.
10+ years of progressive experience in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, management consulting, corporate strategy, or business development.
Demonstrated experience leading licensing transactions, strategic collaborations, acquisitions, governance committees, cross-company collaborations following transaction execution, and corporate development initiatives.
Strong understanding of biologics, cell therapy, gene therapy, immunology, and autoimmune disease drug development.
Excellent financial modeling, valuation, strategic analysis, and commercial assessment skills.
Experience performing multidisciplinary diligence across scientific, clinical, regulatory, manufacturing, commercial, legal, and financial domains.
Outstanding executive communication and presentation skills with demonstrated ability to influence senior leadership.
Proven ability to manage multiple high-priority initiatives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as needed.

Nice To Haves

Advanced scientific or business degree preferred (PhD, MD, PharmD, MBA, or equivalent).
Experience in cell therapy, gene therapy, CAR-T, autoimmune disease, or rare disease.
Prior experience executing licensing or M&A transactions.
Existing network across biotechnology companies, venture investors, academic innovators, and strategic pharmaceutical partners.
Experience supporting Board of Directors materials and Executive Leadership strategic planning.
Familiarity with valuation methodologies, portfolio prioritization, and corporate finance principles.
Strategic curiosity and a passion for identifying transformative scientific opportunities.
Strong business judgment balanced with scientific rigor.
Exceptional relationship-building and negotiation skills.
Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to work independently while collaborating across diverse teams.
Commitment to Cabaletta's mission of delivering potentially curative therapies for patients with autoimmune disease.

Responsibilities

Identify and evaluate external opportunities including licensing, acquisitions, strategic collaborations, platform technologies, and co-development partnerships.
Continuously assess the competitive landscape to identify emerging scientific and commercial opportunities aligned with Cabaletta's strategic priorities, including product expansion, geographic expansion, and lifecycle management strategies.
Develop business development strategies that support both near-term pipeline expansion and long-term platform growth.
Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, financing activity, and M&A transactions to inform corporate decision-making.
Lead scientific, clinical, commercial, operational, intellectual property, and financial diligence for potential transactions.
Build integrated commercial and financial models to evaluate strategic fit, market opportunity, probability-adjusted value, and return on investment.
Prepare investment recommendations and executive-level presentations for the Executive Leadership Team and Board of Directors.
Lead cross-functional transaction teams through all phases of partnering activities.
Coordinate diligence efforts across Research, Clinical Development, Regulatory, CMC, Manufacturing, Commercial, Finance, Legal, and Intellectual Property.
Support negotiation of confidentiality agreements, term sheets, licensing agreements, collaboration agreements, acquisition documents, and related contracts.
Develop and maintain relationships with biotechnology companies, academic institutions, CDMOs and potential strategic partners.
Represent Cabaletta at major partnering, investor and scientific/medical conferences along with at industry meetings.
Build a broad network across autoimmune disease, cell therapy, gene editing, in vivo engineering, and immunology ecosystems.
Serve as the primary business lead for strategic collaborations and licensing partnerships following transaction execution, ensuring alignment with Cabaletta's strategic and operational objectives.
Build and maintain productive relationships with external partners, fostering transparency, trust, and effective governance throughout the lifecycle of each alliance.
Participate / co-lead in Joint Steering Committees (JSCs), Joint Development Committees (JDCs), and other governance bodies, coordinating internal cross-functional participation and decision-making.
Monitor alliance performance, contractual obligations, key milestones, financial commitments, and governance deliverables to ensure successful execution of partnership objectives.
Collaborate closely with Research, Clinical Development, Technical Operations, Regulatory, Commercial, Finance, Legal, and Executive Leadership to proactively identify and resolve issues that may impact partnership success.
Support amendments, expansions, and new strategic opportunities within existing collaborations, identifying ways to maximize long-term value for both Cabaletta and its partners.
Ensure effective communication between internal stakeholders and external collaborators while serving as a trusted ambassador for Cabaletta in all partnership interactions.